Oklahoma court stops social studies standards with 2020 election misinformation from taking effect

OKLAHOMA CITY AP The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily put on hold proposed new social studies standards for K- community school students that include conspiracy theories about the polling The state s high court issued a temporary stay on Monday while a lawsuit challenging the new standards is being litigated The court s order directs the State Department of Learning to keep the previous social studies standards in place while the circumstance is being decided At the direction of state Superintendent Ryan Walters the standards were revised to include new language about the balloting and that the source of the COVID- virus was a Chinese lab among other changes A group of parents and educators filed lawsuit in May asking a judge to reject the standards arguing they were not reviewed properly and that they represent a distorted view of social studies that intentionally favors an outdated and blatantly biased perspective A message left Tuesday with the Oklahoma State Department of Schooling seeking comment on the court s ruling was not without delay returned Leaders in the Republican-led Oklahoma Legislature introduced a resolution earlier this year to reject the standards but there wasn t enough GOP advocacy to pass it Source